For many people, the holidays means constant entertaining, which translates to lots of time in the kitchen. But wait- don’t forgot- we also need to still look good while doing all of that! “Dress to Entertain,” a new series that you’ll see a lot more of in 2013, works to give you inspiration about what to wear when you’re playing hostess- whether it be for an holiday baking party, cocktail soirée, or sit down dinner. For the first edition, I wanted to share some pieces that would make for a very stylish baking afternoon with your girlfriends, without running the risk of covering your most precious pieces in flour and butter.

Comfort is definitely key here, and the pixie pants and cashmere sweater are a solid foundation for that. Note that the sweater has sleeves only to the elbow- there’s less of a chance you’ll get cookie dough on them! Bracelets and necklaces would surely get in the way, but simple sparkly studs add a touch of polish. A beautiful apron will become as much a part of your outfit as it is protection. If you don’t want to wear outright slippers, these flats all look like perfect alternatives- and clearly I couldn’t pick just one.

What do you guys wear to bake in? I’d love to hear!

Cynthia12.13.2012

I never could tolerate the restrictive feel of aprons, so I have essentially just done my cooking, baking, cleaning in over sized chambray or denim shirts! I had ‘Ina-Tude’ and ‘Ina-Style’ long before there was the Barefoot Contessa! When I am entertaining, I try to get as much prep work done ahead of time as possible, and yes, I DO don a fancy, vintage apron to cover my ‘finery’. You can find these gorgeous 1950’s June Cleaver/Donna Reed aprons at any flea market . . . and yes, I do wear pearls and like the effect!

TIP: My hubby is a physician so I love wearing those little blue, elastic slip-on shoe covers while cooking and cleaning. They keep the dust, flour, sugar, and accidental spills away from the footwear and you can just peel them off when guests arrive and ‘voila!’ The party can begin!

Thank you, Sarah! I never even thought about sharing them (my tips) until Clara’s invitation to do so. As a child growing up in the late 60’s I was fortunate enough to be part of a close-knit ‘Cleaver/Reed’ kind of family. I was fascinated by the sitcoms depicting women doing housework in high heels, pearls, and frilly aprons . . . even the great Julia Child on her show, The French Chef, dressed and wore pearls! How could you NOT adopt the look that brought back so many fond memories?